


The Bard's Song

by CoreyWW



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Fanfiction of Fanfiction, Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Illusions, Magic, Magic-Users, Male-Female Friendship, Music, Musicians, Platonic Romance, Relationship(s), Romance, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Friendship, Slice of Life, Young Bard, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-29 05:47:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8477620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoreyWW/pseuds/CoreyWW
Summary: Connie is having a boring day doing chores on the outskirts of her village when she meets a young bard with curly dark hair ...A Connverse-filled prequel of Swordtheguy's "Adventuring Band of the Crystal Gems" fantasy AU.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Swordtheguy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swordtheguy/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Adventuring Band of the Crystal Gems](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8218456) by [Swordtheguy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swordtheguy/pseuds/Swordtheguy). 



> This story was written as a birthday present for my good friend Swordtheguy based on a story of his I really enjoy called ["The Adventuring Band of the Crystal Gems"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8218456), which is a fantasy/D&D-esque AU story. Swordtheguy and I actually brainstorm a lot together and I know he's a big fan of connverse, so I wrote this.
> 
> He liked it so much he basically declared it canon to that story, which made me feel really proud, and he convinced me to write a little bit more and post it.
> 
> It is a prequel so it's not necessary to read Adventuring Band first, but if you do like this story and haven't checked Adventuring Band out, I strongly recommend you do if you're a fan of fantasy because it's a story I enjoy reading.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

“I could have gone to school to learn magic but _nooooooo_ ,” Connie said furiously as she drove the axe down through the log. Connie’s face was still red after the fight she'd had with her mother. She found it hard to keep the axe steady as she shook with anger. And considering Connie had no one to talk to, the only stress relief she had was shouting at nothing while splitting wood on a stump near the forest.

She hoped no one saw her and thought she was crazy.

Connie kicked the split wood off the stump and gripped her axe tighter.

“‘Connie, it’s too dangerous,’” Connie said, mocking her mom’s voice. “‘Besides a lot of those schools are just scams. You don’t know anything about those people, the answer is no.’” Connie set up another log and raised the axe over her head. “Thanks mom! Guess I’ll just have to _waste away here for the rest of my life_!”

Connie swung down, but missed the log completely and got the axe stuck in the stump underneath. She swore under her breath. She nearly fell backwards as she jerked the axe back out.

She shook her head.

“Guess I’ll just grow old here in this boring village...” Connie swung the axe down and missed the log again. There wasn’t enough force behind it to even get stuck in the stump this time. She tried again.

“Get a boring job ...”

She swung and missed again.

“Have a boring life ...”

Swung again, missed again. Connie gritted her teeth.

“And then I’ll die ... _boringly_!” Connie shouted. “With a grave that says ‘Here lies some girl nobody cared about that couldn’t even _split a freaking log right_!’”

She raised the axe over her head, practically seeing red. She wasn’t sure why she even bothered, it wasn’t as if she’d hit the thing. She--

She stopped. All of a sudden, Connie thought she heard music, like the strings of a lute ... it ...

_Connie felt calm, focused. Her worries drifted into the back of her mind. Her every muscle relaxed. There was only her, the log, and the axe ..._

_She swung down and--_

The axe cut through the log like it was nothing, splitting it with such force both halves of the log shot out in either direction several feet away.

Connie’s eyes widened. She stared at the axe. She didn’t think she was _that_ strong. She tried to figure out what had just happened. It was like she'd entered a trance after she thought she heard that music ...

Connie stopped. She listened.

She still heard music in the distance.

It wasn’t in her head. It was real.

It was coming from the forest.

Connie took a deep breath. She didn’t think anyone was supposed to be nearby ... let alone someone who played music. And then there was how strange she felt just a moment before ...

Connie gripped the axe with both hands. It wasn’t a battleaxe like the dwarves use, just a simple axe for splitting wood ... but at least it was _sharp_.

Just in case.

When she went into the woods, she didn’t have to search far. Just a few trees past where she had been chopping wood was a boy sitting on a stump, strumming a lute.

Connie stared at the boy. He looked about her age, maybe younger. He was stout, with dark, curly hair on his head. But the thing that struck her most was the look on his face as he played. He had his eyes closed and wore a serene smile, like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Just looking at that expression made Connie certain he was a good person, despite how illogical that sounded ...

He just had that look. There was something so ... _innocent_ about it.

She stood listening to the music. It didn’t appear to affect her how it did before, not anymore, but it was still pleasant to hear.

The boy suddenly stopped strumming the lute and opened his eyes. He saw Connie standing there.

His eyes drifted to the axe in her hand.

He immediately fell backwards, teetering over the stump. He dropped his lute and held his hands up.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think my music was that bad, _please don’t chop me up_!” the boy said.

“Oh!” Connie dropped her axe. “Oh gods, I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you! I just ... I wasn’t sure who was here and ...” She trailed off, blushing in embarrassment. Eventually she blurted out. “I--I liked your song!”

The boy rose to his feet, his eyes gleaming.

“You did?” the boy said.

Connie nodded.

“Yeah ...” Connie said. She rubbed her shoulder. “I heard it while I was working. It was ... weird. It made me feel really calm and focused. It was like I was in a trance or something and--”

The boy opened his mouth, astonished.

“ _It did?!_ ” He put his hands over his head. “Oh my gosh, _it worked_!” He started running around Connie, as if unable to contain himself. “ _Itworkeditworkeditworkeditworked_!”

“Huh?”

The boy stopped running and turned back to Connie. In a sudden shift, he looked down and shuffled his feet bashfully.

“I uh ... I sort of heard you sounding angry chopping logs,” he admitted. “I started playing a bardic song that’s supposed to make people feel calm ... and I--I kinda figured even if it didn’t work, it’s always nice to have music while you work ...”

Connie’s eyes went wide.

“A bardic so--” She gasped and grabbed the boy’s shoulders. “ _You’re a bard?!_ ”

“Yeah!” the boy said, his cheeks flushing red.

“Like a ‘bard’ bard? The magic bards? You can do magic?”

The boy’s eyes darted away from Connie.

“Kiiiiind of? I-I mean, I’m still learning and it doesn’t always work ...” He gave a nervous grin. “A-and I’m just a bard, it’s not like I can do _real_ magic like wizards or my mom or anything like that.”

Connie shook her head.

“Are you _kidding_?! Bards are too real magic! I mean I felt so calm hearing your song, I should have figured it was magic already! It-- it was amazing!”

The boy’s face got even redder.

“Aww, shucks.” He scratched the back of his head. “That’s really nice of you to say, um ...”

“Oh! My name is Connie.”

The boy grinned at her.

“I’m Steven,” he said.

* * *

The next few days, when Connie went out to chop wood or do other chores, Steven would be waiting for her. Connie liked that; she had never had someone her own age to talk to before. He would play his songs and, thanks to the effect it had on her, Connie got her chores done in a fraction of the time.

And then they would sit on the stump in the forest and talk.

“So where did you learn how to be a bard?” Connie asked one day after chores.

“My dad,” Steven said, smiling as he ran his fingers down the strings of his lute. “He’s a bard too. He’s really good, but the funny thing is, he never got most of the magical stuff to work.” Steven chuckled. “He says he feels bad ‘cause he feels like he kinda ran out of stuff to teach me.”

“Wow,” Connie said. “That’s cool that you’re so good at magic.”

Steven sighed.

“Well, I wouldn’t say I’m _that_ good,” Steven said. “I kinda get most of my magic stuff from my mom, I think. But she was way better. She could cast pretty much anything.”

“Has she ever tried to teach you any of that stuff?” Connie asked.

To Connie’s surprise, Steven frowned. He strummed a single string on his lute, but said nothing.

Connie realized what Steven had said: his mom _was_ way better.

 _Was_.

“Oh gods.” Connie put her hand to her mouth. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t--”

“No, i--it’s okay,” Steven said, putting his hand up. He managed a weak smile. “I ... never knew her. She gave up her physical form to make me.”

“That’s ... I don’t even know what to say.”  
  
“I--it’s really not that bad,” Steven said. “I’m not lonely or anything since I have the Gems around!” His weak smile faltered as his eyes drifted downward. “I ... kinda hope I make them feel the same way.”

“I’m sure you do,” Connie insisted.

But Steven said nothing.

Connie stared at Steven, then hesitantly reached out and touched the back of his hand.

“Well ... _I’m_ glad you’re around ... if that matters,” Connie said, smiling.

Steven looked up, his eyes wide. Connie wasn’t sure, but she thought she could see the smallest bit of moisture in the corners of his eyes. He smiled back at her.

“It does,” he said.

* * *

“How does that even work?” Connie asked Steven another day.

“How does what work?” Steven said, looking up from his lute as he dangled his legs over the edge of the stump.

“You know ...” Connie nodded towards his instrument. “Doing magic with that.”

“Oh!” Steven smiled. “Well, bard stuff is more music than magic, really. My dad says all songs are meant to make someone feel _something_. The songs that are magical just give a little extra push. I just have to play it right and focus really hard on what it’s supposed to do.”

“That’s it?” Connie asked.

Steven shrugged.

“It’s not as easy as it sounds,” he said. “My dad thinks you have to have a special talent to get it to work. Like I said, he’s only able to do a little magic himself and he’s been a bard most of his life.” Steven sighed. “Then there’s something else; basically bardic magic only works _on_ other people and only if they’re around to hear it. It can’t do anything on it’s own.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s ...” Steven thought for a minute. “Okay, so you remember the song I played when we first met, right? How’d it make you feel?”

“Oh, um ...” Connie smiled at the memory. “Well, it made me focus really hard. I felt calm.” She paused. “I guess I felt ... _stronger_ than usual.”

“Right! All the magical bardic songs are like that,” Steven said. “It makes people feel things and do things better than they could before. But it doesn’t affect the world or anything. I couldn’t play a song that could make you do something physically impossible or, you know, a song that lights stuff on fire or something like that.”

Steven looked down, as if he was disappointed with himself.

“Even the songs that make illusions are really hard,” Steven said.

Connie’s eyes went wide.

“Illusions?” Connie said.

“Yeah,” Steven said. “Bardic songs work on people’s minds so a few of the really hard ones can make people see things that aren’t really there.”

“But ... but that’s awesome!” Connie exclaimed, leaning over to him. “You can just make illusions whenever you want?”

Steven’s cheek flushed.

“W-well, if someone’s around to hear the song, yeah ...” He smiled bashfully. “I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

“It’s totally a big deal! I wish I could do something that cool.”

Steven’s cheeks got redder.

“You wanna ... see one?” Steven said hesitantly.

Connie nodded.

Steven clutched his lute, took a deep breath, then started playing.

Connie heard the first few chords, then ... then she didn’t hear the song anymore. It was bizarre. She saw Steven strum the strings of his lute, but there was no longer any sound coming from them.

“Hey, Steven, what happened to the--”

_As if it answer, Connie noticed, amazingly, that it appeared to be the middle of the night now, when it had been a bright afternoon before. It was dark, but the scene was visible enough in the light of the full moon. The sky was full of stars, brighter than she ever remembered them shining._

_They were no longer on a stump in the forest. To Connie, it suddenly looked like they were in a boat, surrounded by water. She felt hit by the crisp night breeze._

_In the air, she could see fireflies floating around them, their reflections twinkling against the water._

_She looked at Steven, who had his eyes closed as he continued playing. She still couldn't hear the song ... but she_ could _hear the soft chirp of crickets in the distance, the soft splash of fish jumping in the water, and the soft whoosh of the wind._

_Connie could only stare at Steven in disbelief._

_His fingers ran along a string and--_

Steven’s eyes popped open as a sour note came from his lute.

In that instant, Connie shook her head and noticed they were back in the forest ... or rather, she realized they always _had_ been there, if all that was an illusion. She looked up and the sun was shining again.

She turned to Steven, ready to stammer out praise, only to see a disappointed look on his face.

“Aww, man,” Steven said as he looked at his lute. “I hit the wrong note again. I thought I could get it this time!”

“Huh?” Connie said.

“I’m sorry,” Steven said, looking up at Connie. “I messed up the song. That’s why the illusion stopped. I’m kinda ... not super good at those.”

Connie chuckled.

“What are you talking about?! That was _incredible_!” Connie said.

Steven shook his head.

“Nah, it was supposed to get way cooler than that,” Steven said, frustrated with himself. “Like all the fireflies were supposed to fly off and then the sun would start rising over the lake and ... it’s a _reeeeaaaally_ hard song! I’ve never been able to get it totally right, but I was really hoping I would cause I just--”

Steven stopped.

“Just what?” Connie said.

Steven’s eyes darted to the ground.

“I just ... wanted to impress you ...” Steven said.

Connie felt a blush on her cheeks. After a moment’s pause, she smiled sweetly.

“Well, you sure did that,” Connie said softly. “I liked it. It doesn’t matter if it wasn’t perfect.”

Steven smiled back at her.

“I’m ... really glad you thought it was cool,” Steven said.

“I did,” Connie said. She scooted closer to Steven on the stump. “Do you ... feel like playing any other songs? You’re really good.”

“Oh, well ...” Steven scratched the back of his head. “There is one I’ve been working on myself. It’s not magical though, but--”

“No, I’d like to hear it.”

Steven beamed at her and started playing his lute. He sang.

“ _The sun is bright, our shirts are clean, we're sitting underneath the trees._

_“Come on and share this jam with me ...”_


End file.
